Bagless vacuum cleaner



April l0, 1934. w LEATHERs I v 1,954,416

BAGLESS vAcuiJM CLEANER Original Filed Oct. 15. 1950 2 sheets-sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

April 10, 1934.

.W. LEATHERS BAGLESS VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Oct. 15 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1934 1,954,416 morass VACUUM CLEANER Ward Leatherspflaworth, N. 1., assignor The Quadrex Corporation, a corporation of Connectlcut Application October 15, 1930, Serial No. 488,794

RenewedFebruary 17, 1933 8 Claims. (01. 15-1c) The object of my invention is to produce a. bagless vacuum cleaner wherein the air filtering is accomplished in the space surrounding the motor or in the space within the hollow handle, or

6 both. In order toavoid the difliculties and disadvantages of a multiplicity of holes or openings in a hollow handle, I have invented a means of utilizing this same area without any such holes whatsoever.

I have in this invention obtained in simple form amply large filter area together with means of collecting the dirt into a suitable chamber from which it may be automatically expelled when desired.

In the following specification I have set forth my invention so fully that all those familiar with these arts may understand and for purposes of greater clarity have appended drawings of 'whichti Figure 1 is apartial longitudinal cross-sec- Figure 2 is a modification of same.

Figure 3 is the handle end.

Figure 4 is the same with an air outlet.

In Figure 1, a motor housing 1 together with its blower 2 is assembled on a plate 3 provided with suitable peripheral ports on its upper semicircle. An inner deflector part 4 is attached to an outer casing 5 as by rivets 6. A yery coarse screen '7 is gripped between the parts 4 and 5 at the time of their assembly. To the blower casing 5 is attached at 6 any suitable nozzle or nozzle mechanism '7. This may be a plain nozzle, common to vacuum cleaners, or contain a removcast, die cast, or stamped. As shown, it is stamped sheet metal. Concentric with the motor housing and removed therefrom a suitable distance is a stamped outer/housing 8, provided with suitable air outlets 9 and shown with indented, depressed ridges 10 'therebetween. Ridges and ports may be provided in any of a multiplicity of arrangements such as the ports lying astride the ridges. Inside this perforated housing 10 is a. fine mesh screen lining 11. This screen filter may be in any desired shape to fit as snugly as desired inside of the perforated housing. I have, however, found it convenient and practical to form it, a1 shown, of a cylindrical and a conical'piece joined together. These two parts may be joined by solder, or otherwise, as desired, and the longitudinal seams in both the said parts may be by solder, or by crimping, with the crimped portion.

inside or outside as desired. The screen 11, at its lower edge may be turned about ametal ring 12 able brush as shown. The housing 7 maybe.

which metal ring may contain threaded holes for the assembly screws 13. At 14 the perforated housing 8 is shown riveted (or clamped in Fig. 2)

to a hollow fibre tube handle 15. A suitable soft rubber washer 16 placed as shown, will effectively '60 close the upper end of the screen 11 against air leakage. A two-way conductor 17 joined to the motor at any desired location is shown passing upward through the hollow handle. Baflle plates 18, one on either side of the housing 1 and attached thereto as by rivets, substantially separates the upper and the lower halves of the space between 1 and 11 into two equal chambers. Since the ports in 3 are in the upper half, dirt blown upward through the upper half must gradually accumulate in the lower half. A spring 19 and port mechanism 20 operated by a thumb lever 21 (more fully described in my copending patent application No. 481,407 Sept. 12, 1930) is for the purpose of deflecting air on both sides of the motor housing into the lower or dirt accumulating chamber from which the dirt may be expelled through the hollow handle when the end of the handle is opened or removed.

In Figure 2, I have illustrated the use of a continuation of the filter area throughout the inside of the hollow handle. This may all be accomplished with wire screen but I have illustrated it here in practical form made of any suitable fabric.

A cylinder of fabric 22 may be turned about the anchorage ring 12 and attached thereto with rubber or other cement. 22 may be sewn to a cone shaped piece 23 which in turn may be sewn to an elongated cylinder 24, all seams may preferably be on the outside as shown. By a suitable clip preferably of rubber, the conductor cord 1'7 may be brought from the motor through 22 at a point near its base. 17 may then be carried upward through the tubular handle 15 to an outlet bushing 25. A suitable clip 26 may be provided to hold the wire 17 and may be attached from the outside of casing 8 after assembly. 2'? shows a ring clamp for joining 8 to 15 in a rigid manner. Since there are no openings, perforations, or other air porosity in the tube 15 it will be noted that when the air has passed through the filter cylinder 24 it is then free to exhaust its pressure from either end of the handle. This is primarily due to the fact that the diameter of the cylinder 24 is sensibly less than the inside of the tube. At the top of the handle tube 15,

I have provided a stamped annular part 28 provided with peripheral ports at 29 28 may be joined to 15 in any desired manner such as rivets or die-sinking. The sleeve 24 is turned back over the top of 28 and held there by an annular capping ring 30. A little rubber or other cement aids in making this joint permanent. It should be remembered that this fabric filter is wholly unlike fabric used in vacuum cleaner bags which must stand great wear and abrasion. This filter member is completely protected against large and coarse objects entering through the screen '7 (Fig. l) and is completely protected against outside contact. It may therefore be as lightweight as desired, such as China silk. The annular capping ring 30 is provided with suitable ridges on its outer periphery which engage the closing cap 31, preferably in such a manner that a fifth of a turn engages tirely.-

Figure 3 is a top which permits no exit of air, while Figure 4, a modification of Figure 2, permits the air to pass out through the cap on the end of the handle.

In Figure 3 an annular involuted capping piece 32 is attached to the hollow handle 15 in any suitable manner. The fabric sleeve 24 is turned over it tightly, or removes it enthe rim at the top and forced back into'a chan-.

nel by a ring member. A cap 33 latches to 32 as in Figure 2 or in any other desired manner.

Figure 4 shows a simply constructed and highly desirable means of closing the end of the fabric sleeve tightly while permitting a free fiow of air out through the cap 34 at ports 35 arranged in any desired manner on the exposed face thereof. Here, a capping member 36 with a shoulder 37 is rigidly attached to 15 in any desired manner as before recited. The top edge is turned in to form an annular ring and provided with a ring of slots or ports 38. The fabric sleeve 34 is drawn up through 36 to acquire the desired tautness where it is anchored with rubber or other cement. A holding ring 38' is then slipped in'and the needless fabric cut away. The cap 34, which suitably latches over 36, is provided with two metal washers, and a soft rubber washer, all joined together by a rivet 39. When the cap 34 is in place the .flexure of the larger, or rubber washer 34' closes the end of the tube 24 effectively tight.

In Figure 1 it will be noted that the parts 4,

5, 6, and 7 are first assembled into a unit assembly to which the nozzle may, or may not be rigid- 1y attached. Means of hinging the nozzle to the part 5 or any other arrangement may be provided. The perforated housing and handle assembly may preferably consist of the parts 8, 15, 25, 27, and 36. These may be assembled in a unit. The motor-assembly consisting of the parts 1, 2, 3, 1'7, 18, 19, and 20, may be assembled in a unit. The filter-unit-assembly may consist of the parts 12, 22, 23, and 24. The cap-assembly may consist of the parts 34 and 39 with the attached washers. To assemble the device the hand lever mechanism 21 is laid in a suitable slot in the part 5 where it is suitably supported on its inner edge with a boss in the housing 1. The filter-assembly and the conductor 17 are drawn through the housing-handle-assembly and the combined assembly joined to the part 5 by the screws 13. The conductor 17 is fed out through the bushing 25 where it may be provided with any suitable switch. The cap 38' anchors the sleeve 2 4. The cap-assembly (34) is turned on and the cleaner is ready to operate.

To clean dirt from the device the cap 34 is removed, the current is turned on, thumb lever 21 is pressed down, the inner bell crank portion of 21 pushes the vein 20 against the spring 19 and when 20 is open the air blast from the motor exhausts the dirt from the cleaner and then blows the filter clean.

I have set forth my invention in a form understood by all familiar with these arts, but since the principles are applicable in many and devious forms and combinations, I wish it distinctly understood that these all fall within the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a perforate-walled main-housing; a nozzle connected with the lower end of the main-"housing; a hollow handle connected with its upper end and having a manually operable port; a filter located within the main-housing; a motor-housing within said filter and main-housing spaced therefrom at the sides, the space between the main and motor-housings being longitudinally divided into two compartments, one of which is an upper compartment relatively to the other when the cleaner is positioned for use, the compr ments communicating with each other at the top, the upper compartment being open at the bottom and the lower compartment being closed at the bottom; an electric motor within the aforesaid motor-housing, a fan driven by said motor located in the main-housing below the motorhousing and adapted to suck dirt-laden air through the nozzle and deliver it up through the aforesaid upper compartment into the filter and over into the lower compartment; and means for at will delivering air from the fan upwardly through the lower compartment to blow the dirt from said compartment out of the cleaner through the manually operable port of the hollow handle.

2. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a perforate-walled main-housing; a nozzle connected with the lower end of the main-housing; a hollow handle connected with its upper end and having a manually operable port; a tubular filter located concentrically within the main-housing and hollow handle; a motor-housing within said filter and said main-housing, spaced therefrom atthe sides, said space being longitudinally divided into two compartments, which communicate with each other at the top, onecompar'tment being open at the bottom and the other compartment being normally closed at the bottom; an electric motor within the aforesaid motor-housing; a fan driven by said motor located in the main-housing below the motor-housing and adapted to suck dirt-laden air through the nozzle and deliver it up through the aforesaid open bottomed compartment intothe filter and over into the other compartment; and means for at will delivering air from the fan upwardly through said last named compartment to blow the dirt therea from out of. the cleaner through the manually operable port of the hollow handle.

3. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a perforate-walled main-housing; a nozzle c'onnected with the lower end of the main-housing; a handle connected with its upper end; a filter located within the main-housing; a motor-housing within said filter and said main-housing spaced therefrom at the sides, said space being longitudinally divided into two compartments which communicate with each other at the top, I

.ingafan,

the nozzle and deliver it up through the aforesaid open bottomed compartment into the filter and over into the other compartment; and means for at will delivering air fromthe fan upwardly through said last named compartment to blow the dirt from said compartment out of the cleaner through a manually operable port therein.

4. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a main-housing; a nozzle connected with the lower end of the main-housing, a handle at the upper end of the main-housing; a filter located within the main-housing; a motor-housing within said filter and main-housing spaced therefrom at the sides, said space being longitudinally divided into two compartments which communicate with each other at the top, one of said compartments being open at the bottom and the other being norm-ally closed at the bottom; an electric motor within the aforesaid motor-housing; and a fan driven by said motor locatedin the main-housing below the motor-housing adapted to suck dirt-laden air through the nozzle and deliver it up through the aforesaid open bottomed compartment into the filter and over into the other compartment.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a motor-blower includa casing for said fan, a nozzle in communication with the fan casing, a housing for the motor, a filter surrounding said motor housing with space therebetween, a perforated casing surrounding said filter, a rigidly supported hollow handle substantially coaxial with said motor, the aforesaid space communicating below with the fan casing and above with the hollow handle,

the upper end of said handle having a manually openable port for blowing the dirt out of said filter. i

- 6. In a vacuum cleaner, a motor-blower includinga fan, a casing for said fan, a housing for the motor, a filter surrounding said motor housing with space therebetween, a rigidperforated jacket surrounding said filter, a handle leading axially from said jacket, the aforesaid space communicating below with the fan casing and above with a manually openable port connected with the filter through which the dirt may be blown out of the cleaner.

I. In a vacuum cleaner, 9. motor-blower including a fan, a casing for said'fan, a housing for the motor, a filter surrounding said motor housing with space therebetween, a perforated jacket surrounding said filier, a rigidly attached hollow handle, a filter sleeve within said hollow handle, the aforesaid space communicating below with the fan casing and above with the filter sleeve in the handle, said handle being perforated to deliver to atmosphere the filtered air from the contained filter sleeve, and the end of said handle having a manually openable port permitting the filtered dirt to be blown out of the cleaner.

8. In a vacuum cleaner, a motor-blower including a fan, a casing for said fan, a housing for the motor, a filtersurrounding said motor housing 100 with space therebetween, a perforated jacket surrounding said filter, a rigidly attached hollowv handle, a filter sleeve within said hollow handle, the aforesaid space communicating below with the fan casing and above with the filter sleeve 05 in the handle, means for porting to atmosphere the filtered air from said jacket and from said hollow handle, and means permitting the dirt to be blown out of the filter and filter sleeve com-, prising a manually openable port at the end of 110 said handle.

WARD LEATHERS. 

